Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

The Best Women’s Diet for Weight Management

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The latest trend for dieting is eating clean. Sounds good, so what possibly could be wrong with that? Nothing really, as long as eating clean, equals a healthy balanced diet that includes the nutrients you need to stay healthy.

Be careful of fad diets that just are not good for you. Many of these diets lack a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats. They are highly restrictive of certain food groups and are just not nutritionally sound. Succumbing to these types of diets sets you up for failure or worse.

When you deprive yourself of a certain food group you run the risk of nutrient deficiencies. An imbalanced diet can lead to ketosis. Sound scary? It is! This is a condition that causes the body to break down muscle tissue. No! This is the last thing you want to do, as a matter of fact it’s a last ditch effort from your body indicating that trouble is brewing.

There are obvious differences between the female and male physique. But did you know that the nutrition and fitness requirements for women differ than those of a man? It’s true; women need fewer calories but more nutrients than men.

That is why women need a diet and fitness program designed for the unique needs of a woman’s body. We have to be especially careful eating foods that are high in calories but with little nutritional value because we need to get as much nutrition as possible from the foods that we eat.

Concentrate on portion control rather than engaging in boring fad diets. Eating one particular food all day long, completely avoiding certain food groups or having to eat foods in a specific order are lifestyles that few people can adapt forever.

Think about people whom you know or celebrities who have lost weight. Which ones have kept it off? Was it the friend that was on the grapefruit diet or the extremely low fat diet? Was it the celebrity who is endorsing the diet that’s guaranteed to work?

Many of these diets are extremely low calorie diets—no wonder people lose weight from them, but are they depriving themselves of needed nutrients, by eating such a small amount of food? Most importantly, is this a quick fix weight loss or one that will last forever?

The only way to achieve permanent weight loss is to find a diet plan that you can live with. If you love ice cream, fine! Just reduce your calorie intake by portion control or food choices but keep a balanced diet and stick with a regular exercise routine. If you find that you begin to level off or start to gain weight then you may need to re-examine the type and quantity of food that you are eating.

The Benefits of Fermented Foods

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Feasting on fermented foods is a healthy trend that’s gaining popularity. Eating fermented, probiotic foods has many health benefits. Fermented foods contain lots of antibodies that add a barrier against microbial infection and help to build a stronger immune system. They also improve brain function, promote healthy skin, regulate the appetite and reduce sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings for better weight management.

Fermented foods are foods that have been through a process of lactofermentation in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food to create lactic acid. This process preserves the food, and creates beneficial enzymes, B-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics.

The microflora that lives in fermented foods creates a protective lining in the intestines and shields it against pathogens. This natural fermentation process has also been shown to preserve nutrients in the food and make it more digestible.

With all of these benefits, I am sure you will want to include some of these tasty probiotic foods in your diet. Here’s a run-down of some of the more popular fermented foods and the benefits they provide. You can find most of these foods, or the ingredients to make them, at your local grocery store.

• Sauerkraut is high in dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and B vitamins. It’s also a great source of iron, copper, calcium, sodium, manganese and magnesium. Boosts digestive health, aids circulation, fights inflammation, strengthens bones and reduces cholesterol levels.
• Pickles contain 18 percent of your daily value of vitamin K, an essential fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in bone and heart health.
• Kombucha is rich in B-vitamins, enzymes, probiotics and a high concentration of acid (acetic, gluconic and lactic). Improves digestion, helps with weight loss, increases energy, detoxes the body, boosts the immune system, reduces joint pain and prevents cancer.
• Yogurt provides better overall diet quality, healthier metabolic profiles, healthier blood pressure and increased triglyceride levels.
• Kefir contains high levels of vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K2, biotin, folate, enzymes and probiotics.
• Kimchi contains high levels of antioxidants that reduce the risk of serious health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, obesity and gastric ulcers.
• Miso has anti-aging properties and helps to maintain healthy skin. Boosts the immune system, improves bone health and promotes a healthy nervous system.
• Tempeh reduces cholesterol, increases bone density, reduces menopausal symptoms, promotes muscle recovery and has the same protein quality as meat. It contains high levels of vitamins B5, B6, B3 and B2.

Design Your Own Diet Plan

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Design a diet plan that will work for you and your lifestyle. It takes a dedicated plan, but by designing your own diet, you can take control over your eating habits and find great success in your weight management goals.

Examine your current eating habits, including what you eat and your preparation methods. Keep in mind the amount to time you want to devote to preparing your meals as well as planning them. While eating healthy make take a bit more planning and prep time, you will also want to come up with quick eating solutions for those times when you are on the go or in a hurry.

If your goal is to lose weight, I have found that the best diet for losing weight is to eat every 21/2 to 3 hours. Eating frequent, small meals will help to keep you from overeating at any meal and from making unhealthy food choices. Avoid going for long periods of time without eating, which causes your metabolism to all but shut down in an effort to conserve fat and energy. A slower metabolism burns less calories.

The secret to success with this diet is to plan your meals each day. If you work away from home, pack a lunch with healthy snacks of fruit, vegetables, cheese or crackers. Make sure you are getting enough protein, too. When eating up to five times per day, be sure to keep the portions small. You can weigh each serving or estimate your portion by the size of the palm of your hand.

The key to portion control is to stop eating when you are full. Learn the language your body is speaking. Don’t take another bite past that satisfied feeling. Keep in mind that your next meal is only a few hours away.

The real secret to adjusting your portion size is knowing you will be eating again in less than 3 hours. Give it a try. Nutritious food, in sensible portions, eaten several times a day really will keep your hunger satisfied and help you to lose those excess pounds.

10 Top Tips For Weight Management

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It’s not just about how great you look that makes losing weight so wonderful. Learning to manage your weight is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body. The scary thing is that carrying around excess weight could be doing more damage than you know. Your back, knees and feet undergo serious strain for every 10 pounds of extra weight. Starting today, make the decision to begin losing the excess pounds. It won’t be easy in the beginning but if you fully support your efforts, you can learn to manage your weight and keep those pounds off.

1. Eat often, but eat in small portions. Plan your meals about 3 hours apart keeping portions about the size of the palm of your hand.

2. Don’t skip meals. This is one of the biggest mistakes dieters make. Skipping meals will not help you to manage your weight.

3. Don’t forget your fiber. Fiber reduces body weight and body fat. It’s rich in vitamins and minerals. For optimum colon health, 25-35 grams of fiber is recommended each day. Fiber helps to stabilize your blood sugar and helps to stave off hunger cravings.

4. Eat plenty of protein, but get it from lean sources. Lean meats, egg whites, vegetables, nuts, yogurt and skim milk are all healthy low calorie choices that are rich in protein.

5. Within reason, eat as many servings of fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. The USDA suggests 5 to 7 servings each day, but you don’t have to limit yourself to those numbers. Vegetables especially are low in calories and fat so you can eat plenty and still manage your weight.

6. Reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates. Limit or avoid soda drinks, cereals that are high in sugar, candy, cookies, cakes and donuts. Go easy on dishes like pasta and bread.

7. Reduce dietary fat generally, and particularly reduce unhealthy saturated fat. Use minimal amounts of oil when cooking and try to use oils such as Olive and Canola. Avoid fried foods, creams, and fatty salad dressings. Squeeze a lemon over a salad in place of salad dressing.

8. Reduce your intake of salt and sugar. Check nutritional labels and pay attention to how much salt and sugar has been added. Gradually decrease the amount of salt and sugar you add to the foods you prepare. If you like coffee, begin cutting back on the sugar and cream.

9. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is high in calories and slows metabolism. A glass of red wine can be beneficial to the heart but so can grape juice.

10. Drink plenty of water. About 8 glasses a day is suggested to keep you well hydrated. Of course, if you are active you will probably drink more. Strive to replace your higher calorie beverages with water, especially during meals. Water removes toxins from the body and it’s calorie-free!